Bomber's tour of Commons

ONE of the London suicide bombers went on a tour of the House of Commons, it has been revealed. Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, who worked as a teaching mentor at a school in Leeds, joined a special tour of the Houses of Parliament last year, according to local MP Jon Trickett.

ONE of the London suicide bombers went on a tour of the House of Commons, it has been revealed.

Mohammad Sidique Khan, 30, who worked as a teaching mentor at a school in Leeds, joined a special tour of the Houses of Parliament last year, according to local MP Jon Trickett.

The Hemsworth MP's wife was involved in the activities of his school and led a deputation to the Commons where they met International Development Secretary Hilary Benn, son of Tony Benn.

The revelation came as an Egyptian biochemist wanted by police over the London bombings was being quizzed in Cairo.

Magdy el-Nashar, 33, who had recently received a doctorate from Leeds University after research into biochemisty, was taken into custody on arrival in Egypt after travelling from London.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that el-Nashar was thought to have rented one of the homes police searched in Leeds in a series of raids on Tuesday.

He told investigators he had gone to Cairo for a holiday and all his belongings remained in Britian as he planned to return.

The London bombings have now claimed 54 lives with hundreds more still recovering from injuries from the four explosions.

Khan, who was given the Commons tour, was the oldest of the bombers.

He was the father of a 14-month-old daughter and was a "learning mentor" for children of immigrant families who had just arrived in Britain.

Staff at the school said he was gently spoken, endlessly patient, and immensely popular with children who called him their buddy.

Khan carried a 10lb bomb into Edgware Road Underground station.

Mr Trickett confirmed that last summer he was part of a tour round the Commons.

Mr Trickett said nobody suspected anything about Khan, and the police have said that he and the other suicide bombers were not on their intelligence "radar".

The news of the suicide bomber's visit comes as the Home Office Minister and Salford MP Hazel Blears prepares to announce a series of tough new measures against terrorists.

She will tell the Commons of plans for offences covering preparing for a terrorist act, indirect incitement to commit terrorism and attending terrorist training camps in this country or abroad.

She said: "We want to try to make sure we can intervene early enough to thwart and disrupt people planning terrorism and get convictions. Police are anxious to get these powers and we will do everything we can to ensure that it happens."

Ms Blears also announced plans to look at cutting the cost of `0870' numbers after emergencies. Calls cost 40p a minute and cannot always be accessed by people abroad. An `0207' number was set up after the London bombings.